What Is Perfect?
by Bearbear Tofu
Summary: In a Society where everything is decided for you, a regular teenage girl finds solace in knowing she won't live her life out alone. The night of her Matching Banquet she silently questions the Society's calculations, and what she expects from her Match. However, he is more complicated and mysterious than she had ever dreamed. Slightly AU. OC x Bram, Cassia x Xander, Cassia x Ky.
1. Chapter 1: The Main Event

I drew a concentrated breath; nervous, as all seventeen year olds here were. It was truly a night to celebrate, for it was the night that would change our lives. None of us took it too lightly, or lightly at all even. I know I certainly didn't, because the Matching Banquet was what I had always, always been waiting for. My mother and father sat on either side of me, mother picking at her food despite the caliber of the meats and vegetables, father chattering lightly in conversation with another boy's father. I ate my fill, all of it. Shoved it down my throat and enjoyed it. And now I'm too nervous and excited to say anything.

I stare down at my hands, which are rested neatly on my lap, atop of the peachy orange folds of my skirt. The gown itself is glorious, I can recall choosing it at the distribution center. It was of the shorter variety, the skirt being stitched and sewn to recreate the image of a rose. I had been surprised when I found out that Society was allowing the return of such short evening gowns. I had noticed that the majority would still prefer the long, flowing skirts many had picked before. However, I was completely astonished no one had chosen such a beautiful dress, especially since this was one of the dresses I was sure girls would be drawn to. The Official working there wasn't the least bit fazed when I chose it. Predicted by society, she had told me. However like all other girls, I still loved my dress whether it was a preordained move.

"Catarina, stop that," my father lightly chided my mother.

"Usually it's the Matchees that neglect the food," the man my father was talking to earlier commented with a small chuckle.

"Oh, I know," she smiled. "But I'm so excited!" Mother squealed with delight as if she were seventeen again(hurrhurr e u e), her tiny frame squeezing my own.

"Why, Catarina, you act as if it's your own Banquet all over again," father teasingly interjected.

"Oh my, no!" Mother blushed and shook her head, her short, charcoal strands swaying to the movement. "But I can't help but remember ours. Oh, Uriel, it was so magical," she nostalgically looked at me, "and now it's your turn honey."

I blushed lightly, biting down on my bottom lip gently. The air was calm, yet tensed of sorts. Many other beautiful girls were shifting nervously, tucking stray locks of hair behind their ears and laughing coyly as the main event drew nearer and nearer. I felt sort of beautiful in comparison. I was conscious about looks to a certain extent. One of those girls who never quite felt good enough. But I guess that's all girls, even the ones who are dipped in confidence. "Mommy..." I draped my arms loosely around her the best I could while still sitting down.

"Silly girl. You still sound so much like a little baby, oh my are you really seventeen?" She jested, kissing my forehead.

"Catarina, we talked about this-"

"Oh hush up Uriel. I know!" Mother whispered harshly, and he held his hands up in truce. I smiled, feeling less shaky and nervous than before. If all goes well tonight, I could be attending my own children's Banquet, with my own husband.

I had always longed for a marriage of my own, and I know I was not the only one who desired it. As little girls, my peers and I would dream of our perfect matches. And growing older, our curiosities only peaked. From simple little crushes to flirting to kissing games, ones that I never participated in. Of course I had my own little... awkward fits of flirting and crushes. But I was a little scared to kiss someone I knew was not meant for me. Not only was I a little afraid, I had also always wanted to have my first kiss be my Match. Silly me.

I watched silently as a female Official made her way to the podium next to a backdrop of a girl and boy smiling at each other. Sometimes I wondered if Matches really did love each other. How was it possible to fall in love with someone you don't even know at someone else's whim? Or is it that the idea of someone who is your perfect Match, who is basically born into Society for you what sells it? Psychological matters that I didn't completely understand. I pushed those thoughts to the back of the mind, not wanting to spoil my Banquet.

The Official raised a glass and said, "may I have your attention please?" In a clear and precise voice. She smiled as the voices in the room ceased, one by one attention turning to focus on her. Mother and father, whom had begun to bicker jokingly quieted themselves. This was the main event. "We will now begin to present the Matches."

This was it.

The tension began to build up and break down as each girl was called out. My last name, Sforza, was near the end. I'd have to wait a little while before being called. My head did that funny little thing where it felt like my vision was burning away, but I could still see everything. I watched as every girl before me was Matched, each to a complimentary boy somewhere else in Society. They looked... happy. Genuinely happy. And I began to panic, those thoughts from earlier coming back to me. What if I was the only one who wasn't happy? Was anyone else questioning this?

Mother must have caught on, her hand gently squeezed mine and she offered me a smile. She pointed to her chin and made a swiping motion under it. _Raise your head. Look forward. Confidence. _I returned her smile, and did as I was told. It helped, to say the least. What certainty I had in myself was shattered.

They called my name.


	2. Chapter 2: Congratulations

"Bram," my mom calls out to me from outside of my room. I don't answer back, as I know she isn't expecting one. She reaches my door, knocking gently on the frame before entering a few seconds after. "Bram, sweetie, we need to leave now."

I stand in front of the mirror, adjusting my tuxedo where I thought needed adjusting. Yeah, I look good. "Mother, I can't call that proper if you knock and enter my room without waiting. What if I'm not dressed fully?" I present myself to her with a mischievous grin. She rolls her eyes and opens her mouth to speak before my father voices himself. "Still the same rascal as ever, are you sure you're seventeen?" He's leaning on the doorway.

"You didn't knock." I interject, and he playfully raps his knuckles against the wood of the door as he makes his way to me.

"Look at you, son," he places his hands upon my shoulders, leaning back to get a good look at me. "Your very own Banquet." Dad steps backwards a few and rests his arm across my mom's shoulders. They both stare at me for a while. "Remember when Cassia came home from hers?"

I do. I can never forget how happy that night was for her. She was Matched with her best friend, the perfect boy down our street. Xander Carrow. I can remember how she smiled, how right it seemed to me that they were Matched. I can also remember something else, and I know something else, but it's not my place to have those memories or that knowledge. I push them away, that 'something else' will fade out eventually.

"Yeah, I'm hoping I can come home the same way." I turn to look in the mirror, tugging at the overcoat. I chose red. "I mean, err, not in a dress or anything, but happy." My father chuckles, and my mom takes my arm.

"Cassia says she'll meet us at the station," my mother places one hand on my arm, her other preoccupied arm laced through my mine. I wasn't old enough to attend Cassia's Banquet, but you can bet she's certainly old enough to attend mine. Hers was seven years ago. Seven years later she's married. But with no children. Cassia was always different, preferring to wait a little longer.

My parents are both dressed in plainclothes, so it feels slightly awkward that I'm the only dressed for the occassion.

"Let's get to that Banquet then." He says, leading the three of us to the door out of my room, and to the front door. It's silent, but not a heavy disapproving one. It's filled with anticipation and excitement. We reach the platform and find Cassia, dressed in plainclothes as well.

"Hello," she greets and extends her arms out to hug each one of us. Since it's tradition for the female in each Match to move to the male's province to live, Cassia has not moved far from us.

"Hello, Cassia," I say to her, after a few seconds of embracing. "Do you still think Serena will be my match?" I say jokingly, recalling Cassia's wisecrack.

"Bram!" My mother cautiously looked around. She would have swatted my head if she were allowed to.

My favorite part of the dinner was the chocolate cake. The part Cassia thought I would enjoy the most about the Banquet. I'm sure she was convinced I cared more about the food than I did about my Match. Although I would have been lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted, because this was one of the few momentous occasions where I would be able to taste something like chocolate cake. I stabbed through the top of my slice, and slowly pulled outward from the mass of cake, tearing the delectable dessert apart and popped it in my mouth. The texture was smooth, fluffy, soft in my mouth. Like biting heaven, because I'm sure this is what heaven tasted like.

"It's not lillies this time," my mother says eyeing the centerpiece. "Bleeding Hearts, I believe..." At the name I turn to look at the flowers. It isn't a flower that I thought could ever exist, the elegance and bright color something that none of us had seen all too plenty.

"I've never heard of it before," Cassia turns to look at mom, looking for a further explanation.

"It's something that they've recently been working on I believe, like the New Roses from a few years ago," mother explains.

I'd lost interest in the conversation after she mentioned New Roses. I never liked them.

We hear the ringing of a fork against a glass, and we all cease to converse and further. "We are ready to announce the Matches," a female Official flanked by a woman and a man stands at the podium, sparkling carts with silver boxes lined neatly on top of glass. The backdrop features a girl and a boy both genuinely smiling at each other. I look at Cassia, who flaunts nostalgia all over her features. I smile, glad to be able to bring back a good memory of hers.

As standard procedures certainly are standard, the girls are called first. I'm eager to watch, resting my elbow on the table, my cheek in my palm. All of them look extremely radiant, so shy and fidgety. It makes me wonder what my Match looks like.

"Serena Vickery," I perk up at the name. I hadn't realized her Match Banquet was tonight either. Her screen isn't blank, not that it's a disappointment to me. Cassia steals a glance at me, and snickers very, very silently. "Your Match is Hunter Skyles." Her head of blonde hair looks down momentarily, before averting her eyes at the boy on the screen. He's not bad looking really, blue eyes and brown hair. He smiles at her adoringly, and she bites her lip, before she receives her silver box and sits down.

Now that that is over, we go through the remaining girls, and get on with the long list of boys before me. I realize Society knows I am not a patient person; maybe they're using this to spite me. I know it can't be true, it's tradition for Match Banquets to follow proper etiquette after all. But one can't help but wonder, especially since... but I want to be Matched. I want my other half. I push the thoughts out of my head once more.

Name after name after name is called, and with each passing one we get closer to me. I'm not shaking with anxiety or nervous. Well, okay. Nervous. Just a little bit. Not as nervous as my mother or father. Mom was clutching the table cloth in her lap, and my father rested one hand ontop of hers.

"Cippow Sforza."

My heart skipped a beat when I fixated my eyes on the screen more closely this time; a rather petite girl in orange making herself known. Her long hair was a glossy black, deep blue where light played off of it. Her eyes were fairly large, reflections in her dark brown hues. And her skin was creamy, a peachy pink settled on her chubby cheeks. The dress suited her, a rose plucked off its stem and shimmied onto her waist like the little fairies in the picture books dad used to show me.

She was cute. And I'm betting there are quite a lot of guys here and there - where she was - that had bothered to wonder if she was their Match. Honestly I did too. I'd taken a liking to her when she appeared on the screen.

She looked lost, a little afraid. I'm assuming that by this point, everyone felt obliged to protect her. Including myself. I watched intently, hoping for a split second that I would be the lucky guy Matched to her. Of course, things never happen this way. Some other lucky guy-

"You have been Matched with Bram Reyes."

All eyes turned to me as I stood, head spinning, just wondering what happened. Maybe I rose a little too fast, but I wasn't going to be or show hesitation when it came to this girl. My mother smiled, putting the tips of her fingers together and over her lips, my father squeezing my mothers shoulder, silently rejoicing. My Match was looking at me. _At me._ Not some other boy. At Bram Reyes. A small smile danced on her lips before I returned with one of my own. Cassia watches me with pride, as I was handed my silver box containing the chip with all her information.

"Congratulations," the Official smiles at me.

"Thank you," I say in return before sitting down again.

* * *

hello! thank you so much for reading. this is the second chapter of what is perfect~ kjgdkslaf. her name is finally reveaaaleddd. and BRAM AND CASSIA AND ASKDJFAKLSJ. yes, i said AU was implied. and they're not just there for my amusement, no ho ho. actually, yes they are. i shall apply more twists later on in the future.

a word about cassia attending bram's banquet. i assume it's alright since older siblings can attend a younger sibling's banquet, since xander's brother attended his in the beginning of the first book. although i'm not sure what to do since she is contracted, and xander's brother was not at the time.. i still assume it's okay for the sake of the story. please read and review! thank you~

i do not own Matched. it is rightfully Ally Condie's. the only thing i do own is cippow, and her parents. and a little bit of serena. the last name part.


End file.
